


Prelude

by LumBabsFan



Series: The "Romance" Series [3]
Category: Beauty and the Beast (1991), Beauty and the Beast (2017)
Genre: F/M, Pre-spell
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-15
Updated: 2018-11-15
Packaged: 2019-08-23 21:14:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,373
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16626569
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LumBabsFan/pseuds/LumBabsFan
Summary: The head servants raised their prince to become what he is, a spoiled, lonely boy out of their disciplinary control. A three part tale of events that lead to the wintry night when an old beggar arrived on the castle doorstep.





	Prelude

**Author's Note:**

> Beauty and the Beast and related characters © Walt Disney Company

The sun had not even begun to shine its first light when Lumière stirred awake. Blinking instinctively, he glanced at his window, groaning at the sight of lingering darkness. He closed his eyes again, but it was no use. His brain had begun to function, and he turned onto his back, frustrated. He was too tired to think, but his mind was a persistent little beast. Hence his thoughts drifted to where they often did lately: the past few years.  
  
Just last week they had celebrated Prince Adam's ninth birthday. _Nine years already!_ Lumière thought, shaking his head in disbelief. How could years feel like months when minutes seemed like hours every day? It felt as though it was yesterday that the king's brother had denied custody of the prince. As though Adam were still the small babe in his bassinet, crying fitfully at ungodly hours of the morning. Maybe that was why Lumière now awoke early; it had become second nature.  
  
The crying had not become a thing of the past, however, as everyone prayed it would. Even in the present, Adam would fall into hysterical fits for little or no reason. As a baby, it was one matter, but for a nine-year-old, it was another. The lower ranking servants who did not attend to the prince's every whim on a daily basis were constantly heard complaining about it. "A boy his age should know better!" they would say. But Lumière, as well as Cogsworth and Mrs. Potts, paid them little heed aside from a scolding for their impudence. After all, Adam was only a child, and very alone in the world despite the numerous servants around him.  
  
A slender arm disturbed Lumière's reverie as it fell tiredly across his chest. Outside, the sun was at last beginning to peek over the horizon, and he used the tiny bit of light to gaze adoringly at its sleeping owner, his beloved Babette. Lumière graced her forehead with a kiss, tenderly stroking her arm. She must have been in a deep sleep, he determined, or else there would have been a romantic response to his actions. Ah well, it had been a long night for both of them, and Lumière smiled dreamily at the memory. Babette was an immensely sensuous paramour. Unlike any women that had graced his room, she was not coy or dainty. ( _Unless it was to her advantage_ , he noted with a smirk.) She was his equal, matching him passion for passion, not afraid to take matters into her own divine hands. She was so deliciously exquisite that the mere thought drove him mad.  
  
It took but a moment for her to stir, and Lumière smiled, burying soft kisses into her dark, silky hair, left free from the nightly braid. He breathed deeply, taking in the scent of lavender. This always amused him. The fragrance was known for relaxation. But coming from her, it was anything but. It was so... _her_ , that he would forever find it exotic and thrilling.  
  
"I know you are not asleep," he whispered.  
  
The warmth of his breath tickled her ear, and she shrugged to calm the sensation before it dominated her.  
  
"Only half as such," she yawned, eyes still closed. "Your terrible snoring kept me awake most of the night…again."  
  
Lumière frowned indignantly, pushing himself up on one arm. "I do not snore."  
  
"Mmm... _mais oui, bien sûr_ ," she argued with a languid stretch. "You are loud and incessantly annoying, all night long."  
  
" _Merci_ , Mademoiselle Cogsworth," he teased, adding every ounce of sarcasm he could to his words. The response was her at last opening her eyes to mirror his frown. But Lumière interrupted any unsaid words with a grin. "Besides, even if I did, I was certainly not going about it _all_ night."  
  
It was a success, naturally. His roguish smile always lightened her mood. Even better, Babette pressed heavily against him, and he rewarded with a soft, delighted grunt.  
  
"You are right, of course," she agreed.  
  
"When it comes to this," he growled desperately, holding her in place. "Neither of us is ever wrong."  
  
"Ah, ah! I was not finished," Babette hushed him with a playful smile. It was so precious; she had so much more restraint than he did.  
  
"Now, if I remember correctly, the majority of the evening, you lips were rather… _preoccupied_."  
  
Without protest, Babette happily succumbed to the advances that followed. Lumière loomed over her with burning desire, deeply sealing her in a kiss. Then again, she could have said something as common as " _Bonjour_ ," and he would have done the same. So often, it was that simple.  
  
As Lumière's hands roamed freely, Babette reveled in the fire that was ignited inside her. Slowly, almost teasingly, he enveloped her in his embrace, and she found herself giggling softly at the thought. When people looked at Lumière, they would not believe that he was endowed with much strength. But in sweet, tantalizing moments like this, Babette was willing to wager that he was stronger than anyone gave him credit for.  
  
Holding her close, Lumière allowed his lips to savor the taste of her delectable neck. When she whispered her pleasant, scandalous promises in his ear, he could not control himself any longer. He needed her, had to take her…!  
  
But then came the tantrum screaming, resounding throughout the palace from the West Wing corridor.  
  
"Oh, _non_ ," Lumière groaned desperately, breaking their current kiss. Not now!  
  
She clearly wasn't paying attention, pulling him back to her arms. "Oh, _oui...mon bien-aimé…_ "  
  
As difficult - and quite painful - as it was, Lumière pried himself from her grasp and raced to change. The screaming was growing louder by the second, and as she grew more coherent, Babette growled angrily from her tangled position among the sheets.  
  
" _Mon Dieu, tais-toi!_ "  
  
Lumière turned to her, puzzled, as he buckled his belt. "I did not say anything."  
  
"Not you; him!" She took a deep breath before offering him a smile. She wasn't going to give up her time with him without a fight.

"Trust me, _mon cher_. In times like this, I would _never_ ask you to do anything that would involve closing your mouth," she purred. "Where is the pleasure in that?"  
  
Lumière closed his eyes, trying to calm any remaining desire. "You are being utterly unreasonable."  
  
"And the boy is not?" she asked, allowing the cover sheet to lower slightly in one final attempt to keep him. "Every time we have a moment to ourselves, he starts with these tantrums! I can hardly believe that last night happened in the first place! Thankfully, Mrs. Potts was kind enough to take an evening turn with him, or else we..."  
  
"And we owe her our gratitude," Lumière interjected, fastening the last button on his coat. "She has her own child to care for, and I swore I would be there this morning. _Non_ , I did not expect to start so early. But if we do not soothe the prince now, he will be impossible for the rest of the day."  
  
Babette pouted, folding her arms in annoyance. "I would like to soothe him, all right," she grumbled. "If only I was not a maid, I would jump at the chance to silence the little brat."  
  
Once he was fully dressed to his high standard, Lumière sat beside her again and took up her hands.  
  
" _Ma colombe_ , you act as though I am abandoning you willingly," he murmured, stealing a sweet kiss. "Not a day goes by in which I do not want you, I swear. Not to mention, with such a lovely morning greeting, my need has grown considerably."  
  
Babette smirked, unable to resist. "Oh, I can see that."  
  
Lumière gulped heavily, his voice hoarse as he went on. "This is not over, _compris_? I promise, we will finish what we started."  
  
"When?"  
  
"Later."  
  
"That is not enough."  
  
"It has to be."  
  
Babette pouted again, but frowned in defeat when he remained steadfast in his decision. "If we must wait, then so be it," she mumbled, resentful.  
  
Lumière smiled gratefully. " _Voilà ma chérie! Je t'aime tellement!_ " he said, kissing her one last time before he rose to leave. "Now, I guarantee that breakfast will be early this morning. I will see you in the kitchen."

 

**ooo**

  
  
"Shall I just stand outside your bedroom door to see that you come the moment we need you?"  
  
_And just like that, the fire is extinguished_ , Lumière mused. As he walked up the West Wing staircase, he found the head of household waiting, an ever-present frown upon Cogsworth's round face.  
  
"If you do, I might as well enter the priesthood," Lumière replied nonchalantly before he changed the subject. "What is the trouble this time?"  
  
Cogsworth shook his head, looking fatigued for once in his hardworking life. "I haven't the faintest idea really. Mrs. Potts was looking after him earlier, but we know that she has enough to worry about."  
  
" _Absolument_."  
  
"When I came to take her place, I discovered that...His Highness knows how to keep us out of his room."  
  
Lumière snorted a laugh under his breath. "He locked you out?"  
  
Cogsworth didn't attempt to hide a scowl. "Locked us _both_ out, you great buffoon."  
  
Lumière drew a lock pick from his coat pocket. He always kept one on hand in case something happened to the wine cellar key. But it seemed to be more useful in situations like these. Kneeling down at level with the lock, he worked at it for a few minutes before it clicked open.  
  
Turning a victorious grin on Cogsworth, Lumière rose to stand tall over his short companion once more. "Go back to bed, _mon capitaine_ ," he said. "It is too early to be awake, even for you. I will take over from here."  
  
As Cogsworth left, muttering to himself, Lumière laughed gently. That was the closest to a 'thank you' that he would receive.  
  
Opening the door, however, he prepared himself for the battle ahead. Adam was never an easy child to deal with, and the scene that greeted Lumière was rather...unsettling. The red-eyed, seething young prince was seated on his bed, his latest tantrum coming to a gradual end. In the middle of the floor there were a few broken toys and wildly tossed bed sheets. The walls were full of scratches and marks.  
  
"What are you doing here?" Adam snarled.  
  
"Well, for one thing, imagining how many unhappy faces I am going to see today. The cleaning staff is going to faint at the state of this room."  
  
Adam's frown grew into a menacing grimace. "What do I care? It's _their_ job to clean it, not mine. I'm their prince, in case they forgot, and what I say goes." The boy eyed Lumière with challenge in his eyes. "In fact… _you_ clean it up. That's an order."  
  
Lumière gritted his teeth. If Adam had been his own child, he would have turned him over his knee long ago. It would have done the lad a world of good, he knew. But the unfortunate truth was that as royalty, Adam did have every right to command his servants. The common credo of "children should be seen and not heard" was impossible to enforce in Adam's case.  
  
"As you wish, _maître_ ," Lumière said mildly, striving to appear unruffled. He began straightening the bedclothes and putting away the toys.

Adam watched him, looking almost disappointed at the lack of reaction. There was silence for a few moments. Then Adam stated defensively, "Anyway, what does it matter if servants have extra work to do? They do not care about me; why should I care about them?"  
  
"Now, now," Lumière admonished. "You know that is not true! We all care about you a great deal. That is why we all do our best to take such good care of you."  
  
Adam snorted. "You take care of me because you're paid to do it. You'd all leave tomorrow if you could." He folded his arms and stared Lumière down once again.  
  
But Lumière was startled by these words. He stopped tidying and sat down on the bed next to Adam. "We most certainly would not. What on earth is giving you such silly ideas?"  
  
The prince looked away, not meeting his gaze.  
  
"Adam?" Lumière said softly. He rarely took the liberty of using the boy's given name. But in a moment such as this, it somehow felt like the right thing to do. "Tell me what is troubling you."  
  
Adam looked up at him, suddenly looking not like an arrogant prince, but like the little child he was. "I heard one of the girls talking," he mumbled.  
  
"Who?" Lumière asked in concern.  
  
"One of the scrubbing girls," Adam answered bitterly. "Veronique."  
  
"What did she say?"  
  
"She was very nice to me before. I thought she liked me. She would sneak sweets out of the kitchen for me after lunch, and then she would tell me to go play while she finished her work. But yesterday, I forgot one of my toys so I ran back to get it, and I heard her say…"  
  
Adam trailed off quietly, his expression gradually returning to anger. "She said that if the wages were not worth the time she had to spend with 'that little monster', she would leave the castle."  
  
"Veronique," Lumière repeated angrily. "I will have a word with her."  
  
Adam shrugged. His face now took on a mask of indifference. "It matters not. She is only a servant. They are all the same, and not worth my time or my interest." He stood up and walked to the window, as though bored with the discussion.  
  
Lumière watched him, feeling compassion for the orphaned boy. "Listen to me," he said earnestly. "You must believe me when I tell you that most of us here truly do care about you. A great deal, in fact. And know this: we are not going to abandon you, Adam. Not now. Not ever. You need to know that."  
  
The young prince glanced at him hesitantly. Lumière held his gaze, all sincerity. Adam nodded and said quietly, "All right. If you say so."  
  
It was not the most reassuring response, but Lumière knew it was the best he would get. Unless…  
  
Lumière's expression changed, as if he knew the secret to end all the pain in the universe. "Say, I think I know just the thing to make you feel better, guaranteed."  
  
"What?" Adam asked curiously.  
  
"I have been promising you fencing lessons for quite some time now, _oui_?"  
  
The boy's eyes lit up instantly. "Yes! We can start them today!"  
  
" _After_ your lessons; no sooner, no later," Lumière agreed. "You have my word."  
  
The young prince gave an enthusiastic holler as he ran for his door, most likely to share his wonderful news, and Lumière followed not too far behind. Once again, he was a proud man, his quick thinking saving the day.

  
  
**ooo**

  
  
"Lumière!" Cogsworth called, irritated. Where was that bumbling fool when he needed to give him numerous smacks upside the head? "For Heaven's sake, you will be the death of me! Where are you!?"  
  
"You truly think you will find him by shouting like that?" a female voice asked, and Cogsworth rolled his eyes as he turned to discover Babette.  
  
"Not everyone is fortunate enough to have the…the uh…" Cogsworth blushed a bright shade of red as he realized what he was about to say. He gestured to her figure, and Babette could hardly contain a smile at his discomfort. At last, he concluded, "The… _façade_ , if you will, to attract his attention like you do. It is not as easy for the rest of us."  
  
"Maybe not," Babette agreed, eying said  _façade_ in a mirror before going on. "But, really, for an educated man, you have yet to figure out that no one answers to your shouting. We are not dogs, _monsieur_."  
  
Cogsworth frowned. "You would not happen to know where he is to make my life easier, would you? Of all people, I should have asked you in the first place."  
  
Babette thought for a moment before she replied, "Last I heard, he was in the ballroom. _Pourquoi?_ "  
  
"Well, why couldn't you have just said that to begin with?" Cogsworth asked, frustration abundant in his words as he headed towards said destination with Babette in tow.  
  
"You did not ask until now," she said with an innocent shrug

Cogsworth halted to glare at her impatiently. Babette could be as infuriating as Lumière when she wanted to be. They were perfectly suited for each other, of that he was certain.  
  
Upon reaching the ballroom, they found Lumière inside, already practicing as he waited for his pupil. While Cogsworth stormed over to him, Babette was slower in her approach. This was a new...attractive side of her lover that she had never seen before. It was impressive, and she took a moment to compose herself.  
  
"What in the world do you think you are doing!?" Cogsworth shouted angrily.  
  
Lumière lowered his rapier, and straightened to his full height. It was the best form in a battle of words with the Englishman. "Warming up, of course," he answered, only a little breathless. "What does it look like?"  
  
Babette stepped forward to spare Lumière from Cogsworth's wrath. "Warming up, indeed," she said with mischievous concern. Stroking his forehead, she added, "You feel like you are running a fever."  
  
Lumière slid his arm around her waist to draw her close. "That is not from practice, _ma chérie_ ," he whispered for her ears only before placing a kiss at her cheek.  
  
"All right, enough rubbish, both of you!" Cogsworth scolded at their display. "This is urgent!"  
  
"When is it not urgent with you?" Lumière asked, releasing his treasured captive.  
  
"What could have possibly possessed you to offer the master fencing lessons? And in the _ballroom_ no less?"  
  
"He is old enough to learn the basics, and this is the most spacious room in the castle."  
  
"It is the most destructive, hazardous kind of sport, you idiot! He is just a boy!"  
  
" _Oui_ , and he is a royal! Royalty and nobility have been learning the art of fencing for years! I learned by watching my former master, and he learned when he was the prince's age."  
  
"Oh, that is promising!" Cogsworth scoffed. "The instructor has only learned by observation!"  
  
Lumière rolled his eyes. "You truly believe that I would teach him to fence if I knew so little about it?" he asked, quite offended. "You know me _far_ better than that."  
  
"Fine, you are capable of teaching him; that is all well and good! But he is a _child_ ," Cogsworth countered. "No matter how well you teach, at one point or another, he will get hurt, and then what?"  
  
"We will take care of it."  
  
"We prevent it from even happening so as not to lose our heads for foolishness!"  
  
Adam entered the room amidst their discussion, ending it rather abruptly. Upon seeing unexpected company, his face fell, especially since one of them was Cogsworth.  
  
"Lumière, what is going on?" he asked.  
  
Cogsworth intervened, beating Lumière to an explanation. "Your Highness, if I may speak openly?" Adam's young brow furrowed with impatience, but he nodded for Cogsworth to continue.  
  
"Sire, I must protest this. This preposterous game is far too unsafe for me to allow."  
  
"For _you_ to allow?" Adam said quietly, dangerously. "Since when do I need _your_ permission?"  
  
Cogsworth began to fumble over his words. "A-Allow? Did I say allow?" he laughed nervously. "No, no, no, I meant no such thing, master! You would not have to ask me for permission, not at all! I was merely _suggesting_ …uh…I, uh...I am only looking out for your best interest."  
  
"My best interest is what I choose to do, not what a servant chooses for me!" Adam shouted, his temper officially lost. "Now are you going to stop meddling in affairs that don't concern you, or does time in the dungeons sound better?"  
  
"Master, please!" Lumière interrupted hastily. There was no need for another outburst right now, especially since this entire lesson was meant as a distraction from them. "Forgive my saying so, but if we do not begin now, there will not be enough time to learn today."  
  
Adam took deep breaths, his jaw clenched, while glaring menacingly at Cogsworth. Finally, he stomped towards the lane that Lumière had set up, along with the man himself. Cogsworth sat to the side, chastised and embarrassed. To think, scolded by a mere child! But, he had to remind himself, this particular child held their very lives in his hand. It was not an easy situation for any of them.  
  
Only the realization that Babette had sat beside him brought Cogsworth out of his humiliation, and he frowned at her presence.  
  
"You have work to do," he reminded her.

"And pass up the opportunity to watch Lumière teach a child how to fence?" she asked softly. "Not a chance! This is too good an event to decline!"  
  
"You were not invited," Cogsworth replied pointedly.  
  
Babette grinned. "Neither were you."  
  
Returning her attention to the lessons, she tried to lighten the mood. Cogsworth was a difficult man. His pride had been wounded, and she did feel a little sympathy for him. Even he needed cheering up sometimes.  
  
"One week's pay says Lumière gives up hopelessly by dinner," she offered quietly.  
  
Cogsworth looked repulsed at the very thought. "I think not!" But after a moment's consideration, he added, "I give him one hour, at most."  
  
Babette smiled heartily, shaking his hand. "You have a bet, _monsieur_."  
  
Sure enough, an hour went by, and Cogsworth's end of the bet was a lost cause. For the rest of the afternoon, the two watched as Lumière patiently taught Adam everything he could, taking into account that the prince was a beginner. Rules, correct posture, foot movement, and technique, the introductory lot.  
  
The biggest surprise was how well behaved Adam was. There were exceptions when certain aspects became too frustrating and difficult. But Lumière handled those temperamental times with ease, complimenting his young master's attempts and guiding him in the right direction. Overall, Adam proved to be a very diligent student. Despite his spoiled mannerisms, he was a very intelligent child. That had always been one of his few positive attributes. Whenever he wanted to learn, truly and wholeheartedly, he focused as much as he could to get it right. By the end of the lesson, Lumière and their audience were quite impressed.  
  
"I do not doubt that you will be one of the most distinguished fencing masters of your time someday, _maître_ ," Lumière stated with a grand bow. "You have learned more in one day than most men do in months!"  
  
Adam glowed proudly at his praise. "Of course I will be, and soon!"  
  
Lumière smiled, pleased with the outcome. "Very soon at this rate; well done."  
  
"Indeed, master!" Cogsworth added as he and Babette joined them. "For a lad your age, that was sheer brilliance! Bravo!"  
  
Lumière and Babette shared a subtle look while Adam nodded.  
  
"Next time, maybe you will think before going against me, won't you?"  
  
"Oh most definitely, sire!" Cogsworth checked his pocket watch before he added, "But right now, even you would agree that the lessons must come to an end. It is almost time for dinner; we mustn't be late."  
  
"Good because I'm starved!" Adam announced, leaving his rapier behind and bolting for the door.  
  
"That goes for you two as well," Cogsworth noted, turning to Lumière and Babette before he followed Adam's lead. He only stopped when Babette called him.  
  
"Oh Cogsworth! Be a gentleman, and do not forget our bet!"  
  
Lumière was puzzled while Cogsworth left, rather displeased with the reminder.  
  
"Bet?" Lumière asked.  
  
" _Oui_ , but do not worry yourself about it," Babette reassured him, walking over to the swords. She picked up the one that Adam discarded and looked it over curiously. Not bothering to avert her eyes from exploration of the blade, she remarked, "Neither of us ever realized that you were so light on your feet and athletic. Such stamina and speed..."  
  
Lumière raised an eyebrow. "How many times have I raced to your side whenever you called?"  
  
Babette shrugged casually. "I have never actually seen you run. I would turn, _et voilà!_ There you were."  
  
"I rest my case." He wrapped his arms around her waist from behind. "Admit it, I am simply so fast that I appear out of thin air."  
  
Babette leaned against him. "You are something magical; I will say that much for you," she sighed, tilting her head invitingly for a kiss.  
  
Lumière was all too willing to accept, but only until he realized that she still held the sword.  
  
"Careful with that, _ma chérie_ ," he warned. "They may not be sharp, but they can take out an eye."  
  
"Well, you are the great fencing master!" she teased, coyly lowering her voice. "I am but a student. Instruct me on how to prevent that from happening."  
  
Lumière smirked, following her lead. "Well, first of all, your posture is _appalling._ "

He placed his hand in front of her slim waist, and she gasped as he pressed her against him to make her stand straight.

"Secondly, you will hardly score points if you can not even hold the sword out in front of you."  
  
With a slow caress, he guided her arm upward until she held the sword out in front of her. She bit her lip, and moaned softly as he added a kiss at her shoulder  
  
"And...h-how do I get points again?" she asked, unable to _not_ writhe in his arms.  
  
"Two ways, _ma colombe_. You may either strike your opponent here..." His fingers glided from shoulder to shoulder, before stroking along her chest. "Or here."  
  
Babette closed her eyes, her heart racing. "Lumière?"  
  
"Hmm?"  
  
"Your room again tonight?"  
  
Lumière hid his light laughter at the base of her neck. " _Bien sûr_ , we shall continue the lessons there. This way, if my pupil does well, I will see to it that she is...handsomely rewarded for her patience and skill _._ "


End file.
